Premature ageing

Lubricants from Delphi

Published: 14 August, 2014

Vehicles equipped with new fuel efficient engines and post-treatment systems require new types of lubricant - oil containing high levels of SAPS can clog the diesel particulate filter and the EGR valve, for instance. Delphi's low SAPS oils are specifically designed for petrol, diesel and direct injection diesel engines equipped with DPFs and catalysts. Its lubricants range includes engine oils, gear oils, transmission and hydraulic fluids. The firm says it's vital to check the colour and viscosity of oil - black oil means an immediate service is needed but if the oil is not darkening at all during use, it's not performing as it should.

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A low friction grease from SKF is said to reduce resistance by as much as 9% compared to standard products while maintaining the same bearing performance within hub bearing units. This cuts both CO2 emissions and fuel consumption in the process. It has been calculated that a car with four hub bearing units using this grease saves 0.15g per Km, saving 2.9KG of CO2 per year, based on an annual mileage of 14,500Km. It can be used on all generations of hub bearing units, on new designs and retrofits

Over 83% of motorists are unaware of the role that coolant plays in their vehicles and over 65% said they wouldn't know what product is suitable for their car, according to new research conducted by Cosan Lubricants for its Comma brand. It's a common misconception that a single product will do or worse still, that you simply replace coolant with one of the same colour - the wrong product will result in overheating, corrosion and component failure leading to possible invalidation of the warranty. Car manufacturers have tailored coolants and oils in recent years for specific, individual engine needs and as operating conditions in modern engines become more severe it is vital that the correct coolant is used. Comma's range of OEM-approved Xstream coolants are backed by a Compatibility Guarantee and a full application guide is available on its website.

Two performance gear oils from Morris Lubricants are designed to save fuel and improve performance. Lodexol MTF 75W-80 boasts outstanding cold start fluidity as well as high temperature stability. It can be used in manual, automatic and semi-automatic gearboxes in various marques, including BMW, Honda, Ford, VW and Volvo. Lodexol FR-X has the same capabilities as the previous oil and is also said to improve fuel economy and protect gears at high speed or when under heavy load - this is designed for manual gearboxes in Peugeot and Citroen cars. The firm supplies more than 800 products, made for specific engines and cars. Spokesman Adrian Hill says it's vital to educate motorists about using the right oil, he says: "People get in the habit of buying the same oil every time without ever really thinking about it. We need to educate people about using the right type of oil and the difference that can make to the way the engine performs."

Vehicle-specific lubricant has made things a little trickier for technicians and motor factors when deciding which grades to stock and in what quantities. Cosan-owned Comma Oil & Chemicals developed 'fit by application' over a decade ago and continues to expand a comprehensive applications VRN online facility for all makes and models dating back over 30 years. Comma's benchmarking service tracks and matches the lubricant applications requirement for all cars and LCVs in the UK car parc. "It is no longer enough to know that over 50% of vehicles require a 5W30 spec engine oil," says Comma spokesman Mike Bewsey. "There are now so many different manufacturer- specific 5W30s that motor factors need more detailed information to manage their lubricant buying and stock control activity most efficiently."

A complete range of synthetic, semi-synthetic and mineral-based lubricants, which comply with the latest ACEA and API codes to meet the latest VM specifications, is available from Ultimo GT. The products meet virtually all engine, gearbox, transmission oil and grease requirements. They are blended in its own facilities in the UK using the latest additive packages.